Sorted by date Results 151 - 175 of 309
Cheney’s Lady Blackhawk gymnasts braved the elements on Friday, Feb. 15, and traveled to Mukilteo for a state qualifying meet, where sophomore Lauren O’ Callaghan earned a place at this weekend’s state championship in Sammamish, Wash. O’Callaghan was joined by Makayla Miller, Alexis Ewen, Sidnie Pacheco and Ashlynn Moad. The girls had to adjust quickly to schedule changes when their Feb. 8 district meet was postponed and later cancelled due to inclement weather, prompting local athletics directors to use scores from a Seattle...
The Cheney High varsity wrestling team has made undeniable progress over the last few months, but for all their success in the regular season, the league champions struggled to maintain control against statewide competition at the Tacoma Dome’s Mat Classic XXXI, Feb. 15-16. A cancelled regionals due to inclement weather meant 32-man brackets at state, making for a packed competition and tight matches across the board. “We didn’t quite have the tournament we were hoping for,...
This week I got a bit of a lesson in human insensitivity, or maybe one in our unique ability to turn the appalling into the mundane if exposed to it often enough. While driving to work the other day, I noticed an elderly woman in a wheelchair struggling to get onto the curb about two blocks ahead. She would back up, try to gain traction and wheel forward with all her might, only to get caught on the giant berms of plowed snow packed rock-solid into ice overnight. Back and forth she went, wheeling out onto the busy road by nec...
Thanks to the record-setting snowfall sweeping across Washington this month, regional wrestling tournaments have been cancelled statewide, making this year’s Mat Classic XXXI at the Tacoma Dome a crowded playing field. The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) cancelled regionals early this month due to inclement weather, forcing state tournament officials to alter the format of Mat Classic XXXI. Wrestlers in each weight class will be competing in 32-man brackets, double the traditional 16 competitors p...
Thanks to the record-setting snowfall sweeping across Washington this month, regional wrestling tournaments have been cancelled statewide, making this year’s Mat Classic XXXI at the Tacoma Dome a crowded playing field. The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) cancelled regionals early this month due to inclement weather, forcing state tournament officials to alter the format of Mat Classic XXXI. Wrestlers in each weight class will be competing in 32-man brackets, double the traditional 16 competitors p...
The Cheney School District did not present attendance boundary recommendations to the school board at their Feb. 13 meeting as originally planned, school officials said Tuesday. Instead, they will be working to revise the current recommendations and will likely hold one more public meeting to get local feedback on those revisions. Assistant Superintendent Sean Dotson said that following some concerns from families, the district will be reworking its plan and “trying to find an alternate path.” The concerns stemmed mainly fro...
Multicare Health System, a not-for-profit healthcare organization, opened an access center on the West Plains last month to better serve their Spokane County patients. The center employs more than 45 people, and Multicare officials are predicting steady growth in the future. Multicare acquired several local healthcare facilities in July 2017, and has been planning its West Plains patient access center in earnest for about six months, Access Center Executive Director Wray...
Eastern Washington University was buzzing on Saturday, Feb. 9, when it hosted the Washington State Beekeeper's Association Conference, bringing in beekeeping experts and newcomers from all over the Pacific Northwest to discuss issues facing local beehives. "Beekeeping is a little bit of a science and a little bit of an art," executive director of the Washington State Beekeeper's Association Jennifer Priest said. "One in three bites of food is dependent on pollination, and...
In the aftermath of last week’s Super Bowl, something felt different. The electricity in the air leading up to the big game just didn’t sizzle like usual, and I found myself sighing, not smiling, in anticipation. And boy, did it live up to the hype (or lack thereof.) Not only was the overall game painfully boring, tied for three quarters and making history as the lowest-scoring Super Bowl ever with a final tally of 13-3, but I realized something else. I’m so tired of the Patriots. Seeing the New England Patriots take home yet...
Rising through the ranks in any organization is a feat of endurance, determination and perseverance. That’s particularly true when the organization is the Future Farmers of America (FFA) and you’ve proven yourself worthy of a rare national award granted only to those exhibiting singular dedication and commitment. This is the case for Kelci Scharff, a 2017 graduate of Cheney High School who earned the highly sought-after National Degree from the FFA and was presented with the a...
As Airway Heights prepares for its long-awaited recreation center to open this spring, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department is hosting job fairs this month for several upcoming positions at the new facility. The first was held Wednesday, Feb. 6. The second will be held on Saturday, Feb. 9 at 10 a.m. at the Airway Heights Community Center. Many positions will be available for personal trainers, fitness instructors, front desk staff and lifeguards, Parks and Recreation Fitness supervisor Jared Nichols said. The d...
The Spokane International Airport increased its traffic significantly in 2018, setting a new record for total enplanements with 1,998,949 enplaned passengers, according to a press release. The record is the result of a 12 percent increase over last year’s enplanement total of 1,782,453. The airport also experienced a spike in total passenger activity, up more than 12.5 percent from 2017 to 3,998,272. The number of enplanements represents the number of departing travelers from Spokane International Airport (SIA), while the t...
The residents of Airway Heights were tapping into their artistic sides Monday, Jan. 29 at the city’s community meeting kicking of its US-2 Beautification and Public Art Program. The burgeoning program aims to address preferences for public art and landscape for new roundabouts planned along U.S. Highway 2. The idea was sparked last year, when the city received a proposal from the Spokane Tribe of Indians for roundabout enhancements in front of their casino. Airway Heights did not have universal standards or requirements f...
On Thursday, Jan. 29, volunteers with the Airway H eights Fire Department welcomed their new fire engine into service, soaping and rinsing the vehicle despite the bitter chill and then physically pushing it inside the fire station in a ritual that’s been performed for more than 100 years. The traditional fire apparatus dedication ceremony took place with firefighters and family members alike bundled up against a cold that froze the soap to the engine faster than volunteers c...
By SHANNEN TALBOT Staff Reporter Mama Jeannie doesn’t quite know what to do with compliments. Jeannie Choi, called “Mama Jeannie” by employees and customers alike, is the owner and chef at D’bali Asian Bistro, the Airway Heights restaurant gaining a cult following for its signature Asian fusion dishes and distinctive seasonings. And when complimented on the delicious food coming out of her kitchen, she just smiles, waves a hand and says, “It’s not bad, huh?” Not bad is an und...
Last week marked the end of a 35-day government shutdown — the longest in history. But while many federal workers are happy to see money coming in again, the relief is temporary at best. With the looming threat of another shutdown or the declaration of a national emergency in less than three weeks’ time, it’s impossible to feel the recent shutdown suspension is any kind of victory. According to analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the shutdown cost the economy $11 billion. While some of these funds...
According to Fairchild Air Force Base in Airway Heights, 2019 is the year to go green. Base officials are kicking off the new year with “Green in ’19,” a plan to improve the base’s overall energy consumption by promoting conservation practices and waste reduction. Green in ’19 is vision to inspire Team Fairchild Airmen to become the Department of Defense’s leader in environmental initiatives,” Sgt. Travis Edwards with 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs said in an email. “Our goal is to highlight many of the practices w...
The Cheney School Board heard a number of financial and legislative updates at their Jan. 23 meeting as well as first readings of policy revisions that could have far-reaching effects for students and parents. The Cheney Free Press previously reported that the district will be receiving a $1.9 million grant to fund STEM improvements at the high school level, and at its most recent meeting the board received a follow-up presentation on the subject by Cheney teacher and grant writer Adam Smith. According to his presentation,...
At its Jan. 28 study session, the Airway Heights City Council unanimously approved a marketing contract with advertising firm BHW1 to implement promotion strategies ahead of the city’s recreation center opening slated for the first week of April. According to city documents, BHW1 employees have been working with city officials for the last several months to develop a marketing plan ahead of the facility’s opening. The firm will be using a method called “hypertargeting” to emphasize interest, awareness and membership signups...
The Blackhawk boys wrestling team powered their way to the league championship against West Valley Jan. 16 in a rivalry sparked by more than three decades of overall league losses. Neither team had taken the championship since the 1980s. Both schools came into the dual 3-0 but Cheney wrapped up the win 44-30, taking nine out of 14 weight classes after making some strategic changes to their lineup. Cheney captured 26 takedown points to West Valley’s 24 and 10 reversal points to West Valley’s four. “It was a good win for sure...
The Blackhawk boys swimming team has been building momentum all season, demolishing several opponents on the way to its district meet Feb. 1. At their Jan. 5 meet against Selah, the Blackhawks inched to victory 86-83 and came out ahead of East Valley (Yakima) by a landslide 103-57. “The season is going good,” head coach Jennifer Hochwalt said. “The newer swimmers are improving at an amazing rate.” The swimmers showed off their skills at a Jan. 12 meet, defeating both Prosser with an 89-69 win, and Grandview in a 101-20...
The gathering looked like one at any other high-class art gallery — shiny white walls showcased evenly-spaced art, with more interspersed on pedestals throughout the room. Attendees sipped and nibbled on refreshments and milled about discussing lighting, staging and inspiration. The only difference? Many of the spectators and all of the artists were under the age of 15. On Wednesday, Jan. 17, families and local students gathered in the pristine Eastern Washington University D...
Cheney knows more about water woes than most small communities, and the beginning of 2019 is shaping up to be more of the same. State records indicated that the city’s water system is over-connected by more than 600 connections, causing the state Department of Health (DOH) to place Cheney in a “blue” category, designating the city’s system as “not adequate for growth.” In the blue Water permits from the state Department of Health’s Office of Drinking Water are color-coded based on the permitted entity’s compliance with state...
The fire service motto may be "adapt and overcome," but most firefighters probably thought that applied to burning buildings and emergency situations, not budgeting woes brought on by years of temporary fixes and stopgap solutions. That's the current state of things in Airway Heights, where the city fire department is often in need of new equipment and struggles to function in a building too small for the community it serves. "We're very proud to work for Airway Heights,"...
The Cheney School Board took care of several housekeeping measures at its Jan. 9 meeting, honoring its former president and hearing the first reading of a significant transportation policy revision. The board kicked off the meeting by presenting a plaque to former president Henry Browne, who served in that position for three consecutive years. The plaque was in recognition of “three years of service and going above and beyond,” said School Board Vice President Mitch Swenson. Following the brief presentation, Kristin Mansfield...
